Cone U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,321 discloses the compound Ni[NC(CH.sub.2).sub.4 CN].sub.2 [NCB.phi..sub.3 ].sub.2, hereinafter referred to as NCBC. This compound may be reacted in pentenenitrile to produce the compound of this invention.
Various organo boron compounds have been employed in the prior art to promote the hydrocyanation of 3,4-pentenenitrile to adiponitrile--see, for example, Shook U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,811 where triarylborane is so employed, and the triarylborane recovered from the catalyst residue. The compound of this invention may be used in a manner like that taught in Shook to produce adiponitrile.